For me, the most significant goal of the recent admittedly rather insignificant friendly against SC Neusiedl was the last one. It was a typical Carlos Vela goal.

It was a similar kind of goal to the one with which he announced himself to the Arsenal fans, the third of his debut hat-trick against Sheffield United in the Carling Cup. The kind of goal that he notched against Wigan in the following round of that same campaign, that he executed against second-tier Burnley in the FA Cup, and against an under-strength Fulham side on the final day of last season. The goal that, when he does it with such impeccable nonchalance and that cheeky grin on his face, makes him look like a world beater – and therein lies the frustration, thus far at least, with the little Mexican.

After his first game against Sheffield United, it seemed as though the rumours were true - we had a real star on our hands. The contrast between the player seen in the Carling Cup and the one that disappears when offered a higher-profile chance to shine, though, is disappointing. When faced with John Terry, Aston Villa’s defence or an away day at Blackburn, he seems uncomfortable, unmotivated, or plain unambitious when you know what he is really capable of. In truth, his profile at the club hasn’t changed all that much since that September night two years ago.

In Mexico, his profile has always been high since winning the U-17 World Championships in 2005. He, Giovanni dos Santos and Efraín Juárez are what the Mexico City newspaper Excélsior calls the “Three Musketeers”, the country’s golden generation. And each year, the national sports television channel chooses one European club with a Mexican in their ranks, to broadcast all of their games, in 2008 they chose Arsenal upon Vela’s belated arrival in England – despite Sp*rs signing dos Santos from Barcelona at the same time.

His country’s pre-World Cup friendly against England back in May offered a chance to see Vela in an alternative light. It was an opportunity to gauge the perception he generates from fans in his homeland, and to witness his influence when representing his nation as a key player in their line-up.

Throughout the first half at Wembley, he worked from the left flank, against Glen Johnson, receiving possession and working his way across the 18-yard box to a central position. He revelled in his greater responsibility and had a greater presence than at Arsenal, always moving around to find the ball, start attacks and create options for his team-mates. His two one-on-ones against Rob Green were blocked, but it was still a highly impressive performance, and eight days later he opened the scoring in a 2-1 win over Italy.

This is the Carlos Vela I hope will emerge this season. A genuine option, one that can be called from the bench to win us the game or spark a stale match into life with his speed and enthusiasm. Thankfully, the club appears confident that he will fulfil the potential that he’s shown glimpses of – when Deportivo showed an interest in June, his agent said, “we spoke recently with Arsenal, and they told us that there’s no possibility of him going to another club.”

Watching Vela in full flow brings a smile to every fan’s face, as much joy as he has after another beautifully taken goal. Now it’s time to experience it on a more regular basis, and against a higher standard of opposition. So let’s hope to see a few of his trademark chips when it really matters in the months ahead.